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Watch: Why is the UK reviewing its Chagos Islands deal?

The UK is reviewing its deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the defence secretary has said.

· 750 words· updated September 23, 2026 at 09:49 AM

The UK is reviewing its deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the defence secretary has said, after US President Donald Trump called it "terrible" at the UN General Assembly.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said "we have to" review the deal "because the United States doesn't support it".

The original agreement would see the UK cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius and pay an average of £101m ($136m) per year to lease back a joint UK-US military base there, prized for its strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley looks at why the government's agreement with Mauritius has stalled.

Inside Djibouti refugee camp for thousands fleeing Houthi advance in Yemen

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Watch: Aztec codex on display in Mexico for first time in 186 years

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Watch: What the munitions shortage means for the US

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Warning of space arms race as US confirms weapons in Earth's orbit

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Watch: Do Republicans blame Trump for high oil prices?

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Why did USS Lincoln turn up in Thailand looking so rusty?

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Watch: JD Vance 'extremely sceptical' over alleged strike on Iranian wedding

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Watch: Why is the US-Venezuela oil deal so controversial?

President Donald Trump announced the US has struck a deal to control more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.

Six months into the Iran war: What has Trump accomplished?

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Watch: Algerians look on as deadly wildfires rage through night

At least 12 people have died in the fires and Algeria's president has announced three days of mourning.

Belugas and dolphins rescued from closed Canadian park arrive in Spain

Two beluga whales and four dolphins rescued from a struggling Canadian marine park arrived in Spain as part of an effort to relocate the animals and avoid euthanasia.

Why was this US military plane in Moscow?

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Watch: Why has Trump shifted on North Korea?

Trump said the US will "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un.

‘Justified’ or ’no business being there’? Tennessee munitions town loyal to Trump but divided on Iran

Hear from voters in Kingsport, home to a munitions plant supplying the US military, as tensions over the Iran war spark debate.

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Friday, October 23, 2026

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